Toe stop for roller skates



Oct. 13, 1953 R. .1. NESCHKE TOE STOP FOR ROLLER SKATES Filed Oct. 2, 1950 Fee's/1a rd J JVQSC/Lke IN VEN TOR.

/4r fOF/VEI Patented Oct. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT or F 1 cs TOE STOP FOR ROLLER SKATES Richard J. Neschke, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application October 2, 1950, Serial No. 187,945

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to an improve ment in toe stops for roller skates.

It is not new in the art to which this invention pertains to provide atoe stop adapted for making abrupt stops and changes in direction in the execution of jumps, spins, figures and the like performed by skaters. But such devices as heretofore provided are susceptible of improvement under certain circumstances, as for example:

(1) Wherein the Skater may more quickly and easily detach the toe stop when going from one dance into another dance not requiring the sto and in which, if not removed, would make impossible the new feats to be performed. Also, the toe stop is quickly replaceable when the change of performance makes that necessary;

(2) Wherein the period of wear of the toe stop is increased at least four times; and

(3) Wherein the new mode of assembling of the toe stop and toe stop receiver results in the foregoing advances in the art.

A further particular object of this improved stop resides in the fact that the rubber cap, when attached to the casting receiver may be locked and will not come oil? unless the skater wishes to remove it, thereby eliminatin the possibility of serious accident to the skater due to faulty attachment. Present day skaters demand a stop which may be used for twirling, which makes the screw type stop obsolete, since, if the skater twirls contrary to the spiral of the threaded stem, the cap can unscrew even though there might be a lock nut arrangement.

Other objects, features and advantages of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein is shown a. preferred embodiment of the invention as now reduced to practice,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view looking up toward the improved device applied to the toe portion of a skaters shoe, the shoe being shown in phantom lines.

Fig. 2 is a perspective, separated view of the improved toe stop and its receiver.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the toe stop receiver in full lines and a fragmentary toe portion of the skaters shoe in phantom lines. This view illustrates the manner of fastening the receiver both to the skaters shoe and to the skate late. D Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the toe stop receiver per se.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the attaching means carried by the toe stop per se.

Referring in detail to the drawing, therein is shown a toe stop receiver 1 having a body portion 8 provided with a pair of twin arms 9 which im part to said stop receiver as a whole a horseshoe shape when viewed in plan. Forwardly of the points at which said arms join the body portion of the device there is provided a rise 10 which forms the front end portion of the horseshoe shape.

Each of said arms is provided in its outer end portion with an aperture H through which extends a threaded machine screw l2 which serves to secure said arms to the conventional skate plate or chassis I3. Forwardly of said skate plate said rise underlies the toe portion of the skaters shoe 14, so as to provide a stable platform under the entire tip of the sole portion of the shoe. This construction eliminates any undue leverage and undue stress that might otherwise be applied to the aforesaid attaching arms 9, so as to guard against breakage of the latter, strain upon the attaching screws I2 being relieved because of said rise abutting the outer end of the skate and therefore absorbing the severe impacts to which the toe stop is at times subjected.

In order to assure to the wearer added safety, comfort and neatness of appearance a inch hole I5 having a counterbored part l6 shown in Figs. 3 and 5 is drilled into the toe stop receiver casting l to permit the insertion of a screw ll of the proper length to attach the tip portion of the sole of the shoe and to hold the attached part firmly in a flatwise contact with that part of the sole of the shoe. In some instances, where the skate plate extends the entire length of the shoe, said rise may be dispensed with.

The body portion 8 of the stop receiver desirably has a circular face [9 into which extends at a right angle a polygonal passage 20, shown in the drawing as square in cross section. Said passage extends through the casting, the inner end of said passage having a counterbore 2|. When the device is in its assembled condition, through said passage extends the polygonal, axial shank 22 of the toe stop attaching means, said attaching means having a circular, disk like head 23 embedded Within the cylindrically shaped, elastic stop 24. Said head is provided with a series of circularly spaced apart peripheral notches 25 and with a plurality of holes 26 radially spaced away from the center of said head 23. In order to retain the shank 22 in its operative position in the aforesaid polygonal passage 20, an Allen headed screw 21 is tapped into a threaded opening provided therefor in said body portion 8, said opening extending from said passage 20 to the exterior of said body portion, said screw 21 being operable by means of a suitable tool, such as an Allen set screw wrench.

It is a proven fact that, regardless of the angle of the basal face of the stop receiver against which the detachable stop abuts, the flat outer surface of the toe stop never wears uniformly, but always wears first in the tip portion thereof. Consequently a rotational adjustment of the toe stop will add greatly to its wearing life. In order to accomplish such an adjustment the aforesaid set screw is simply loosened and then the rubber toe stop is removed and replaced after having been turned through an angle, preferably of 180 degrees, whereupon the set screw is tightened once again holding the adjusted part in place, giving the wearer a new period of service by placing a new portion of the basal face of the toe stop in a wear-receiving position.

After opposite side portions of the floor contacting face of the toe stop have become worn as aresult of the aforesaid adjustments, then a ninety degree adjustment should be made, followed by a 180 degree adjustment.

It will be seen from the foregoing description of the device, that by this invention the rotational adjustment of the wear-receiving portion of the device can be performed in a much easier and more convenient manner than would be possible if the wear-receiving part had to be repeatedly secured into place in the manner previously practiced in the art to which this invention pertains. When a skater goes from one dance, in which the toe stop is required, into another dance in which it is necessary to dispense with the toe stop, he can almost instantly remove said toe stop because to do so it is only necessary to loosen the set screw 21 and thereupon pull the shank 22 of the toe stop out of the passage 20.

From the foregoing description the assembling,

4 adjustment and operation of the device will be readily understood.

I claim: In a toe stop for a shoe attached roller skate, a receiver body of hard material having a top face formed to provide a surface adapted to fit flat against the under surface of the forward end portion of the skate plate, said top face being offset transversely of the skate to provide a second surface on a plane parallel with-and raised,

above the first surface to fit flat againstthe .shoe sole forwardly of the skate plate, means on the upper portion of said body for securing the latter to the skate plate, said body having a fiat face at the bottom thereof inclined with relation to the face at the top of the body and provided with a bore opening through the bottom face to engage a screw for attaching the forward por- .tion of the body to the shoe sole, and a stop member detachably mounted against the bottom face of the body, said body having a pair of complementary arms projecting rearwardly therefrom along the bottom of the skate plate with the top'surfaces of the arm coplanar with the first stated top surface of the top face of the body, and said stop member having a non-circular shank inserted into a bore in the body for rotative adjustment of the stop member to selected'angular positions.

RICHARD J. NESCHKE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Number Name 333, 83 Yarger Jan. 5, 1886 2,070,646 Blochinger Feb. 16, 1937 2,269,362 Daniska Jan. '6, 1942 2,356,736 Blaes Aug. 29, 1944 2,485,147 Fowlkes Oct. 18, 1949 2,508,980 Wall May 23, 1950 2,516,644

Post et a1. July 25 1950 

